Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-29

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The graph below gives information about the number of jobs in four sectors of the economy in the US between 1960 and 2020.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Number of jobs in four sectors of the economy in the US, 1960-2020

Student answer (Band 5.0)

The chart illustrate the jobs sector of the economy of US, from 1960 to 2020

If we look at the manufacturing department, job started from 15 million in 1960 reaches 20 million by the 2020, which is very good number.Manufacturing, later drops down to 12-14 million in 2020.

If we talk about retail, It started from very low numbers as compared to manufacturing. It started from 5 million whereas manufacturing started from 15 million. Retail went to 10 million in 1980. Retail continuesly growning. It went to 15 million in 2000, which was very good in numbers. In 2020, the numbers of job grows to 15 to 17 million. Now comes the agriculture department, which continuesly keeps going. In 1980, the jobs started from approximately 6 million and in 1980 it drops to approximately 2 million to 4 million. The chart remains same in 2000, nothing changes. In 2020 it drops again and the final was around 1 to 3 million.

The final department is healthcare. It keeps growing throughout the period of 60 years. At the starting in 1960, the jobs were approximately 1 to 5 million which is lower than agriculture. In 1980, it grows up to 5 million, 15 million in 2000. It jumps the number of 10 million in the short time period of 20 years. In 2020, It keeps growing and went to around 16 million.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify all four sectors and report several broad trends, including manufacturing’s rise and later decline, retail’s growth, agriculture’s fall, and healthcare’s overall increase. However, the account is only partially accurate and lacks a clear overview of the main comparisons. Manufacturing reaches its peak of 20 million in 1980, not 2020, and then falls to about 13 million; the response first says it reaches 20 million “by the 2020” before giving a conflicting later figure. Healthcare is reported as reaching 15 million in 2000, whereas the chart shows about 11 million. Agriculture’s starting point is also assigned to 1980 rather than 1960. Prioritise a concise overview and check each figure against the correct year.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response follows a generally understandable sector-by-sector order, moving from manufacturing through retail and agriculture to healthcare. This gives the reader a basic route through the information, and phrases such as “Now comes” and “The final department” signal transitions. However, the organisation is repetitive and progression is weakened by unclear or contradictory statements. For example, manufacturing is said to reach 20 million in 2020 and then to drop to 12–14 million in that same year. The agriculture section repeats “in 1980” for two different points, making the timeline difficult to follow. Use separate paragraphs for an overview and grouped comparisons, and connect each figure explicitly to its year.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant chart vocabulary, including “started,” “drops,” “growing,” and “throughout the period,” so the main trends can usually be understood. However, the range is limited and several expressions are informal, repetitive, or imprecise for an academic report. Phrases such as “very good number,” “Now comes,” and “keeps going” do not describe data precisely, while “jobs sector” and “department” are not suitable labels for the economic sectors shown. There are also noticeable word-form and spelling problems, such as “continuesly” and “growning.” Build a more precise set of trend verbs and use consistent terms such as “sector,” “employment,” “rose,” and “declined.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt some longer sentences and comparisons, but sentence structures are mostly simple or joined in ways that are difficult to control. Errors occur frequently in verb forms, agreement, articles, and punctuation. For instance, “The chart illustrate” needs subject–verb agreement, and “Retail continuesly growning” lacks a correctly formed verb. The sentence beginning “If we look at the manufacturing department” also shifts awkwardly between past and present forms. Capitalisation is inconsistent, as in “It” after a comma, and missing spaces after full stops make sentence boundaries unclear. Practise accurate past-tense reporting and use shorter, complete sentences before adding more complex comparisons.

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